“Let her do as she likes,” he observed; “she will be happier in the pursuits of her old life. And it would be most awkward to have her always listening to our conservation, particularly at this juncture. Steinberg, I must have a séance to-night. Will you try and come home early? I have married to-day, not Hannah Stubbs, but my Leonora, and I shall not close my eyes until I have seen and spoken to her again. The last séance! I shall never forgive Mrs. Battleby for having interrupted us! In another moment I should have held my wife in my arms. But I will sit and sit for her, until that happy moment arrives. Is the room quite ready?” “I finished it yesterday, and it is one of my leisure evenings, so that I shall be back as soon as yourself. Tell Hannah--I beg your pardon, I must call her Mrs. Ricardo now----” “No such thing!” cried the Professor, “continue to call her Hannah as usual. I wish all things to go on exactly as before!” “Tell Hannah, then, to be sure and get us a good supper, for I feel so much exhaustion after these séances, as if my brain and body were alike scooped out and empty.” “Yes! yes! I will see to all that!” replied Ricardo, as they parted to pursue their avocations. The Professor ordered his wife to procure a couple of fowls for supper, which Hannah quite imagined was in honour of the morning ceremony, and gave her five pounds as a wedding present, which delighted the simple creature as much as if he had settled an income upon her. But when he and Steinberg returned home and intimated their intention to hold a séance in the dark chamber, Mrs. Ricardo showed signs of insubordination, and vehemently opposed their desire. “O! no!” she exclaimed; “nothink won’t ever make _me_ henter that dark ’ole again! Wasn’t it that as brought the whole of my misfortins on my ’ead? It lost me Joe and mother and the rest, and I won’t never try it again. You didn’t ought to arsk me, Sig-nor! You deceived me onst, and I said it should be for the larst time. If I’d a known as when I went to sleep, ghosties and sperrits and shadders walked about the room, I’d ’ave chucked all the physic out of the winder. But never again--no! not if you paid me a ’undred pounds!” And turning her back, Mrs. Ricardo walked away into her kitchen. The Professor and the Doctor looked at each other with comical dismay. “Is she in earnest, do you think?” whispered Ricardo to his friend. Steinberg made a grimace. “I don’t know I’m sure. I don’t know enough of women, but one thing is certain--performing the office of a medium does not come within the legalities of Marriage, and if she will not do it of her own free will you have no means by which you can compel her!” The men were silent for a few minutes, and then the Professor exclaimed, “Karl! don’t look at me in that way, as if you thought I’d bought ‘a pig in a poke!’”